IDEA-QC: How to measure farm sustainability

By painting a portrait of the current situation, identifying possible solutions as a team and developing an action plan, farmers are gaining the tools they need to improve sustainability of their farms. This is the basis of the IDEA-QC framework.

What is the IDEA-QC framework?

The Framework of Farm Sustainability Indicators - Quebec (referred to as IDEA-QC ) is an approach to determine a farm’s strengths and challenges, and to co-develop ways of improving farm sustainability alongside the farmer. It was designed by a group of stakeholders from various backgrounds initiated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The framework was inspired by the IDEA method invented in France, and by sustainability indicators developed as part of other projects for Quebec field crop and dairy farms.

The framework defines sustainability as the ability to continue to develop the farm’s activities to ensure its economic profitability, while providing satisfactory working and living conditions for the people who invest in it, and contributing to the dynamics of the region in which it is located, all while preserving natural resources.

The framework comprises 5 key steps

1. The IDEA-QC steps begin by gathering information about the farm. A short questionnaire and an on-farm semi-structured interview between the farmer and the agricultural advisor are used to gather relevant data.
2. The advisor then paints a portrait of the situation, highlighting the farm’s current strengths and challenges based on their analysis of the data collected. Using pre-established calculation grids, they give a score from 1 to 5 to each of the sustainability indicators.
3. Following the analysis, another meeting is held to draw up an action plan. The farmer then has the opportunity to validate and modify the scores obtained, based on their knowledge of the farm. They also take part in identifying courses of action to be implemented to improve sustainability.
4. The farmer then implements the actions identified on their farm.
5. The last step is ongoing and is not essential for each IDEA-QC diagnosis. It involves improving the IDEA-QC framework itself. Comments and experiences shared by farmers, researchers, teachers, advisors and stakeholders are used to update the indicators and improve the support offered to farmers.

“The analysis gave us an overall portrait of the farm and highlighted the company’s strengths and weaknesses. It confirmed that our efforts are having a real impact on the environment and on the farm’s sustainability. It revealed that we still face a number of challenges in achieving carbon neutrality. The analysis also identified certain expenses that were too high compared with other farms. As a result, we were able to remedy the situation quickly by making a few changes.”
 - Michael Jeker, owner of Ferme Cristallina.

Clear objectives and customized solutions

Farmers, researchers, teachers, advisors and stakeholders all work together in this process. However, it is the farmer who makes the final decisions. By implementing an IDEA-QC diagnostic framework, the farmer and their agricultural advisor co-construct a common vision of the farm, sharing their points of view on its strengths and challenges. On this basis, they pool their ideas to develop courses of action aimed at improving its sustainability.

The 3 main objectives of this process are to:

1. diagnose the strengths and challenges of farms
2. work with farmers to identify customized solutions to improve the sustainability of farms
3. support agricultural producers in their efforts to adopt sustainable farming practices

“Using the IDEA-QC framework with the farmers gave us a shared vision of the farm’s strengths and challenges in terms of sustainable agriculture, and a 360 degree analysis of the farm - a kind of dashboard. It’s a way of taking a step back from the farm’s often hectic activities, to better plan and manage tomorrow’s projects.”
 - Sylvestre Delmotte, agronomist, Ph.D., and consultant for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Indicators on a human scale

The questionnaire completed by farmers and the interviews conducted are based on the main pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental and social. These pillars are in constant interaction within the notion of sustainable development. Three 3 priorities emerge:

1. ensuring farm viability and livability

   Fourteen indicators focus more specifically on the farm’s economic viability, the quality of life of farmers, current management practices and the transferability of the farm to the next generation.

2. preserving natural resources

   Nine indicators analyze the impact of farming practices on soil health, water quality, biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions.

3. responding to societal and territorial challenges

   Seven indicators describe the farm’s contribution to its economic, social and territorial environment. These include animal welfare, biosecurity, landscape maintenance, ability to feed people and contribution to the local economy.

Today, 30 indicators derive from these pillars and are used to assess farm sustainability.

“What’s particularly innovative about this framework is that it includes indicators with a human dimension, in addition to economic and environmental indicators. In fact, the IDEA-QC framework collects data on the psychological health and habits of people actively involved in the farm. Indicators specifically target job satisfaction, the pace of life and the pace of work of farmers.”
 - Marie-Noëlle Thivierge, agronomist, Ph.D., and research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Added value for the Living Lab - Quebec (2020-2023)

The IDEA-QC framework has been put to good use as part of the Living Lab - Quebec project, which took place in 3 watersheds in the Lac Saint-Pierre region between 2020 and 2023. The project was carried out in partnership with the Union des producteurs agricoles. The project’s 3 priority objectives were to improve soil health, water quality and biodiversity. Rather than study these separately, a holistic approach was adopted to gain an overview of the situation in the fields. In this sense, the IDEA-QC framework focused on the farm’s activities and the quality of life of those who work there every day.

“The IDEA-QC framework guides farmers towards concrete actions. It can be part of a farm’s toolbox for strengthening its sustainability.”
 - Chantal Foulds, agronomist, M.Sc., coordinator of the Direction recherches et politiques agricoles of the Union des producteurs agricoles.

A constantly evolving framework

With an eye to continuous improvement, participating farmers each receive the full diagnostic report for their farm. The process is transparent from start to finish. All calculations are available.

Farmers are encouraged to adapt this framework to their own reality during the co-construction steps. It is in this collaborative work that the IDEA-QC framework takes on its full meaning. In recent years, the framework has undergone a number of changes, as have its indicators, in order to better reflect current regional realities. It will continue to evolve in response to farmers’ needs and concerns.

Here are some examples of the solutions proposed in the farmers’ action plans:

• evaluate the possibility of creating new areas favourable to biodiversity (hedges, extended riparian buffer strips)
• look for sources of solid manure to help improve soil health
• continue analysis and discussions with the operation’s various potential successors
• analyze the advisability of taking out insurance with La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ) to cover crop damage
• automate certain operations to reduce labour time (for example, irrigation, greenhouse)
• encourage employees to take vacations and hire a summer employee to relieve shareholders
• develop the range of farm products marketed though short channels

Driven by a desire to facilitate the adoption of practices that promote the sustainability of agricultural operations, Sylvestre Delmotte, Guillaume Jégo and Marie-Noëlle Thivierge have been working since 2016 to develop the IDEA-QC framework. Their knowledge of farming systems and issues related to sustainable agriculture are put to good use in this collective work, which brings together a multidisciplinary team and highlights the experience of farmers and agricultural advisors. These 3 scientists wish to raise awareness of the IDEA-QC framework, which is designed to be accessible and can be used in a multitude of contexts.

Related information

• The IDEA-QC: framework of farm sustainability indicators - Quebec
• Quebec Research and Development Centre
• Guillaume Jégo
• Marie-Noëlle Thivierge